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DEAI Statement Visit TOURS Accessibility HOURS & LOCATION BECOME A MEMBER ADMISSION GIFT SHOP Exhibits Breaking Barriers: Walls throughout History Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry The German Immigrant Experience Past Exhibitions Learn GAHC From Home Internships Resources Book Discussions​ Travel Events AboutStaff Newsletter Contact Us Private Events Donate Menu Visit TOURS Accessibility HOURS & LOCATION BECOME A MEMBER ADMISSION GIFT SHOP Exhibits Breaking Barriers: Walls throughout History Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry The German Immigrant Experience Past Exhibitions Learn GAHC From Home Internships Resources Book Discussions​ Travel Events AboutStaff Newsletter Contact Us Private Events Donate Visit TOURS Accessibility HOURS & LOCATION BECOME A MEMBER ADMISSION GIFT SHOP Exhibits Breaking Barriers: Walls throughout History Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry The German Immigrant Experience Past Exhibitions Learn GAHC From Home Internships Resources Book Discussions​ Travel Events AboutStaff Newsletter Contact Us Private Events Donate Menu Visit TOURS Accessibility HOURS & LOCATION BECOME A MEMBER ADMISSION GIFT SHOP Exhibits Breaking Barriers: Walls throughout History Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry The German Immigrant Experience Past Exhibitions Learn GAHC From Home Internships Resources Book Discussions​ Travel Events AboutStaff Newsletter Contact Us Private Events Donate About the Museum Learn more about our history. Plan your visit Current Exhibits Explore our interactive and on-premise experiences. Explore Exhibits Upcoming Events There are many fun and informative virtual and in-person events to choose from. View events Spotlight EVENT EVENT SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT Upcoming Events Spotlight EVENT BoW Support Us EVENT Support Us SUPPORT Sponsors Support Us SUPPORT Hours Support Us SUPPORT Museums for All Support Us SUPPORT Birdies for Charity Donate to birdies for charity by searching our name or Bird #1002. Support Us Get Involved SUPPORT Donations help preserve your heritage. JOIN Learn more about membership benefits. VOLUNTEER Give the gift of time (training provided). ON INSTAGRAM Follow Us! germanamericanheritagecenter 1,051 1,371 Museum exploring the German immigrant experience and history of Davenport and Iowa! Open There are lots of great books available in our gift shop! ? The St. Elizabeth hospital fire occurred on January 7, 1950. The fire broke out at Saint Elizabeth mental health facility for women in Davenport. The disaster received statewide and national attention as the second largest loss of life in the history of the state, and the third largest hospital fire in the nation to date. The fire, started by a patient, claimed the lives of 40 patients and one nurse, while 23 patients were rescued. Rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that most patients were locked in their rooms at the time. The author recounts the lives of those who fought and survived the ordeal. . . German American Heritage Center 712 W 2nd St. Davenport, Iowa #history #museum #fire #davenport #mentalhospital #buildingfire #historicfire #iowa … Open Here are some #ThrowbackThursday memories for you! Do you remember how our building looked in the 90s? Thankfully, a group of dedicated volunteers and saw the value and history of our site and spearheaded a massive undertaking to restore and reconstruct the historic Standard Hotel. This year is the 30th anniversary of the German American Heritage Center and Museum! Since 1994, our center has grown in ways that would make our founders proud. We are more alive and bustling with activity than ever before. Last year 12,780 people learned more about the German immigrant experience by touring our exhibitions, attending our programs, and enjoying our community-wide events. Over thirty years, we have remained steadfast in our priorities. We consistently tell the story of the German immigrant experience, explore the impact of Germans on the Quad Cities and the US, and seek parallels with other immigrant groups to show connection and relevance. This year, in honor of our 30th anniversary, we will update our permanent exhibition, the German Immigrant Experience, in two ways. We will update the signage that shows significant wear after fifteen years on view and transform one of the two model hotel rooms into a space alive with activities for children. — If you give through Birdies for Charity before June 26, your gift will be matched 5-10%, adding to the impact you can make for present and future generations. Donate online, link in bio. … Open There`s always lots to see at the VW Car Show, right here in our parking lot on Saturday May 4th, 2024 from 10 am – 1 pm. ? ? ? 712 W 2nd St Davenport, Iowa 52802 ?️ Admission is free to the show and museum all day. Parking is limited. We encourage visitors to utilize the street parking on 3rd street or surrounding streets. There may be spaces off of 2nd St and Western Ave where the old YMCA used to be. … Open The German tradition of "Tanz in den Mai" welcomes spring! ? Celebrated on the eve of May 1st, people gather to greet the arrival of May with music and dance. ?? It`s a wonderful opportunity to meet friends, celebrate life, and prepare for the warmer months ahead! ?✨ "Tanz in den Mai" coincides with Walpurgisnacht, or Walpurgis Night, a folkloric festival celebrated on April 30th. ?‍♀️? According to tradition, on this night, witches are said to gather on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, to hold revels and await the arrival of spring. ?? Walpurgis Night (30 April) is a modern-day European and Scandinavian festival derived from the merging of the ancient pagan celebration of Beltane with the commemoration of the canonization of the Christian Saint Walpurga (c. 710 – 777). The event focuses on renewal, rebirth, and letting go of dark energies from the past year. ? … Open We had a great turnout for our Kaffee und Kuchen event this afternoon! Thank you to the folks at the @button_museum for coming out and having a great conversation and bringing some artifacts to look at. Our next Kaffee und Kuchen is next Sunday, May 5th. Russell Baldner will discuss Berlin: Before and After the Wall Fell. It is also the last weekend to view our exhibition, "Breaking Barriers: Walls Throughout History." Visit our website to register! Link in bio … Open April 26th is National Pretzel Day! Today we highlight the turn-of-the-20th-century Davenport institution: Pretzel Alley. ? ? ? The alley was and is just across from the Davenport Public Library`s location, running from Main to Harrison Street in the block between 3rd and 4th Streets. Pretzel Alley was much more than just a place: it was a lively social club, starting out as a break-time and after-hours gathering of men who worked at the H. Korn Baking Company on Harrison Street — hence the pretzel” moniker — and other businesses nearby. The five Korn brothers (Billy, Charlie, Otto, Harry, and John) and Alex Anderson were among the founders of the group. Merrymaking was the main order of business, fueled by liquid refreshments. Regular singing, dancing, and practical joking enticed more and more local fellows to join the happy fraternity. The Pretzel Alley gang formed a band and a choir, and so many members played on the Davenport baseball team that it was popularly renamed The Pretzels.” The official organ of the organization was the Pretzel Alley Wurst-Blatt, published by Alex Anderson, Davenport Democrat employee and the ”first, last and only mayor” of the free and Independent Commonwealth of Pretzel Alley, State of Scott County, U.S.A.” Anderson was elected mayor of Pretzel Alley several years in a row with his famous slogan Can’t Lose.” Even when he moved across the Mississippi to work as a Rock Island hotelier, Anderson’s leadership continued. William H. Billy” Korn, treasurer of the H. Korn Baking Company took Pretzel...